Containers, such as gas cans and the like, are often provided with a spout to aid in pouring gas into the gas tank of a motor vehicle. These spouts often are slightly flexible so that the spout end may be inserted into a gas tank and the container may be tipped at various angles to obtain gravity flow of gas into the tank. The mouths of such containers ordinarily are threaded, and may be provided with a threaded cap which can be replaced with the threaded end of a pouring spout for the pouring operation. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,744, a spout for a container includes spaced threaded spout sections with a gasket moveable axially across a slotted center portion of reduced diameter from a position abutting one of the threaded sections to a position abutting the other threaded section as the spout is reversed in the container. Because of the rather tortuous design of the last-mentioned spout, its manufacture may be rather expensive, and its successful operation depends upon sliding, without binding, of the gasket across the slots between the two threaded sections. Moreover, since gas containers such as are used at resorts or for wilderness camping are often subjected to rough use, the exposed gasket on the last-mentioned dispenser is subject to damage which may adversely affect its operation.
A reversible dispenser which would avoid the problems associated with the prior art devices, which obviates the necessity of a separate cap for a container, and which is of simple, rugged, and relatively inexpensive manufacture, is much to be desired and would greatly advance the art.